


Acts of Friendship

by applethief



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:08:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24900589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/applethief/pseuds/applethief
Summary: Double Trouble slowly has a change of heart. For their own benefit, of course.
Relationships: Bow/Double Trouble (She-Ra)
Comments: 35
Kudos: 115





	1. Act 1

**Author's Note:**

> A little thing that wouldn’t leave my head until I wrote it.

“You know, I cared about Flutterina. As a friend.” 

The lizard blinked at him slowly. One eye, and then the next, their piercing gaze fixed on him. It made him feel glued to the spot, though Bow was not the one trapped inside a magical circle like a bug in a jar. “It’s weird to think that she didn’t exist at all. That it was just you all along.”

“Just... me?” Double Trouble huffed a breathy laugh and stretched in the oversized chair so that their body turned just so, the light from the barrier catching along their thighs and hip. So different from Flutterina’s frantic energy, they moved deliberately and elegantly. The long tail swished languidly into a pretty curl, draping across the arm of the chair.

Bow remained stoically on topic. “I wanted to see if you’re anything like her, I guess. If we’re still, you know...”

“Friends? No.” Their bright eyes finally left him to study their claws. It was a gesture of dismissal, but Bow stepped closer to the barrier. It lit the spy harshly, strained Bow’s eyes. It occurred to him that the lizard had been stuck within this barrier’s piercing lights for a few days now. 

Double Trouble simply curled and uncurled their tail while studiously ignoring him. They were dissatisfied that he had not risen to the bait, perhaps; even after days of captivity, the shapeshifter’s attitude was that of a person accustomed to twining people about their fingers. 

Still. They were probably bored, at the very least. 

“Do you need anything? I know Glimmer has been... intense...”

Double Trouble fixed him with suddenly tearful eyes and wobbled up to the barrier. Bow nearly reached for them as they weakly fell to their knees, but of course he could not reach them through the barrier. “She tortures me. She burns my pretty tail and twists my form with d-dark magic...”

There was some of Flutterina in those frightened eyes, and that was perhaps what made Bow sure of the lie. “She doesn’t.”

“No?” The lizard tilted their head at him, gathering their feet under themselves to sprawl nonchalantly on the floor. All that fear had evaporated from their body again, instantaneously. Their tail snaked around to press close to the barrier, so close to his boots. Double Trouble watched him with concern, the illusion rather shattered by a sharp-toothed grin. “You don’t seem too sure. You were so close, and now you don’t even know what she gets up to. All those secret decisions. Hanging out with Shadow Weaver, of all people. Those two really are on the same wave-length, you know.” Their tongue flicks up to wet one of their large, staring eyes. “You’re supposed to be holding her together, but now... it seems to me your friendship isn’t worth a pebble.”

“She’s been having a hard time lately!” Bow’s voice cracked with frustration. Double Trouble did not even blink. They were so damn unnerving. “You know that! You’ve been hanging out with us for months! You can’t just... fake friendship!”

“Oh, but you can!” Double Trouble turned their palms towards him, spread their fingers as if revealing a magic trick. “Acting!”

Bow exhaled through his nostrils, staring back at the spy. “Actually! You’re terrible. Do you even have any friends?”

“I have an audience. All of the perks, none of the downsides. And you’re not exactly a poster boy for what friendship can do for you, darling.” They waved their hands in an airy motion. “Your friends don’t listen to you, they quarrel, hurt each other, hurt you.”

“It’s a rough patch-“

“That you can’t patch,” The lizard seemed very pleased with themselves.

Bow turned to stalk out, casting a glare over his shoulder. “Well, seems to me like with no friends, you’ll be stuck in that circle for a very long time, so there’s a downside.”

“Wait! I-“ The sudden despair in their voice made Bow turn back. Double Trouble watched him with pleading eyes. “Please don’t leave.” 

He was quiet for a moment, and then he held up a finger. “Fine! One more chance.”

Double Trouble sighed sadly and leaned against the barrier, curling their tail around their knees. Their voice was small and thin. “You’re right, I... I’ve been dishonest. The truth is, I’ve never had any f-friends... but I’d like to! I just don’t know how to be one and I feel... So terrible about the way I am... Maybe you could teach me to be a good friend?”

“Well... I don’t think Glimmer’s would let you out, but... maybe I could start coming by regularly. We could play cards, or... something that doesn’t require anything to pass through the barrier...”

“Like... Charades?”

“Yeah! That could be fun!” Bow sat down in front of the the spy, gazing at them through the barrier. They blinked at him tearfully. “And maybe I could bring you some books.”

“That’d be nice. We used to play charades at the orphanage,” Double Trouble sniffled, wiping a tear from their eyes, “On Sundays. They let us have a day off from collecting coal-crystals in the mines, you see... And they’d put raisins in the plain gruel, so Sundays were truly the best. Though naughty children who didn’t meet their coal quota had to work through Sundays, too.”

“I feel like you are lying to me again.”

Double Trouble gasped dramatically, leaning forward to gaze into Bow’s eyes. “How could you say that to me, Bow? Here I am, exposing my very soul, and you accuse me of... lying?”

Bow made a pained face. 

Double Trouble stared him down. “You’re so torn on whether or not to believe me. What’s it like to be this gullible?”

“You- You were lying again!”

“Oh, darling. I am always lying. Thank you, though. This has been amusing. Perhaps you could send me Adora so I can pass the time messing with her, next.”

Double Trouble watched him with a self-satisfied expression as Bow stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind himself.


	2. Act 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interlude while Double Trouble survives an alien invasion and feels some type of way about it.

Double Trouble does not know when they picked up these sentimental proclivities.

Maybe it was during their regular calls with Catra, or while (heavens forbid) they were Flutterina joining in on some nonsensical bonding activity with the princesses. Or perhaps it was while sitting on the floor in the Queen’s magic circle, realising that there truly is no one who will help them out of this sticky situation. They’ve made it all too clear to Catra that their arrangement is professional, and well... they know the princesses. They know Bow. But the princesses do not know Double Trouble and Double Trouble will never let them.

What a strange corner to have painted yourself into. 

Double Trouble has always had themselves and no one else, and that has always sufficed.

When the pale clones start invading Etheria, Double Trouble is quick to melt in among them. As far as they see things, the aliens with the robots and the space ships are very likely to come away as the winners in all this, and Double Trouble will not be on the loosing side.

The clones are dull, not temperamental like Hordak. Single-minded, brutal and efficient. Not fun to toy with. 

Easy enough to fool, however. Double Trouble can stand to be bored, if it means survival. 

But when Double Trouble catches something else staring at them from one of those pale skulls, it sends a shiver down their spine they cannot suppress. It’s not frightening in a thrilling way, like pissing off someone thrice their size, or climbing through a high up window. It is sinister and ravenous. 

They stop messing with the clones. Run and hide in the skin of someone else. 

Perhaps their disguise was not the most apt, but oh, they’ve always been weak for anything which sparkles, glitters and shines. Soon enough, those white eyes watch them from their captivated audience. For the second time in their life, Double Trouble thinks this will be the mess that ends them. 

There’s a hunger and a hatred there. Worms crawl in their throat when those eyes stare at them. They will be consumed. There is no room for Double Trouble on the winning side except hollowed out, worn like a puppet.

They’re relieved when Scorpia shows up amongst the hungry stares. She is dull, but she is kind, and she believes in people, would help them even if she knows them to be... well... who they are. And her eyes are clear.

She bumbles her way through the crowd to them. Catra will find this hilarious, they think, and plan to tell her about it when they next speak. Then they realise there will not be a next time, because they are not friends, and Catra is in space, and maybe that is a little bit their fault? When did they get this sentimental? 

Scorpia sees through their disguise, because it’s rushed and ill-researched, and a part of Trouble wonders if they wanted her to. It’s nice to see a familiar face and WHEN did they get this sentimental? 

She does not escape the crowd. A part of Double Trouble feels guilty to have lured them all into a fragile container under water, of all places. Undone by dramatic allure, once again. 

Perhaps they might have stayed, if Scorpia were there, but she is not. As soon as they are able to, Double Trouble tucks their tail between their legs and disappears, even as poison is still working its way through their wobbling body.

They wander, alone, shifting disguises nearly daily. They slink among small groups of clones and slit their throats when they do not expect it, and after each encounter, they brush a tentative hand along their neck, relieved every time to find it still smooth. There is no one to watch their back. 

Even when the world is safe again and they have pushed their last clones off a cliff, Double Trouble cannot shake that sentimental, lonely feeling.


	3. Act 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Double Trouble can have little a character development, as a treat

There is no exclusive party they’re not invited to which Double Trouble will not crash. Particularly if royalty are involved. The mix of polite conversations and the deep undertow of long-running bonds and secrets is such a tempting cocktail. An ever-churning sink of inspiration.

So when the queen of Bright Moon throws a private gathering to celebrate the defeat of the alien invasion, well... Double Trouble is not about to miss it. 

And besides. The queen owes them money.

This is an intimate little party, so they slip in and out of disguises, closely observing the comings and goings of the guests and toeing the line of detection. It’s challenging, and thrilling.

As the evening drags on, they spy Catra on her own. Seemingly taking a breather from the party. Double Trouble considers revealing themselves. An encounter with her would be illuminating; they are curious how she is doing. What does she feel like among all these people who were once the target of her bitter hatred? 

Is she happy now?

Professional curiosity, of course. And they have stories to tell her; they have been collecting them for a lack of anyone else to tell them to. If she wants them. 

She may not want them. They’re not friends, after all. 

But it is still quite early, and the scene would likely end up with them tossed out of the castle by a glowing giant with a magic sword, and Double Trouble still wants to linger. Just for a bit. 

They slink away, take the opportunity to wear Catra’s form for a moment, just to see what it is like now, what looks people cast her, before they assume a less risky disguise.

When they catch Bow alone on a balcony, that seems like a much safer target. Almost equally as amusing as anyone else. 

They decide Flutterina would wear the pinkest monstrosity to this sort of ordeal. They shape a ridiculously poofy skirt over their form, puffed up like a sugary confection. 

Bow startles when Flutterina greets him cheerfully, but he does not seem all too surprised to see her.

“Double Trouble. Can you not... do that.”

“Do what?” Flutterina asks innocently. Her eyes glitter and she shuffles her feet awkwardly.

“You know what. It’s just weird.”

“Who would you like instead, Arrow Boy?” Double Trouble tries on a few different forms, cycling through Glimmer, a man they think may be Bow’s dad, Perfuma, a few other party goers, before they settle irreverently into the queen’s form again. They particularly like the way Bow looks at her. 

“You could just... be you.”

Double Trouble is feeling generous, so they stretch back out into their own form, draping themselves in a sleek dress for the occasion. They ponder on deep green for a split second, then deep blue, before settling on a subtle pink, mirroring Bright Moon’s marble. 

It’s not blending in, it’s making the location work for you. 

“Just me.” They lean on the balcony railing to watch Bow in silence. Pale hair tumbles over their shoulder. Who is Double Trouble to Bow? Mostly a blank slate. A rude enigma, at most. They wait for a cue.

Bow studies them back, but Double Trouble will not be budged by awkward silence, so Bow eventually clears his throat. “Sooo. I heard you helped us out with some intel, when we were stuck in space.”

Of course he would be hung up on stuff like that. No character development. “Please don’t flatter yourself.” They roll their large eyes slowly. “I was threatened at floral-point.”

“Don’t ruin it.” Bow fishes an envelope out from his jacket, punctuating his sentence with it by tapping it on Double Trouble’s arm. 

It is a golden-lettered invite. Their name emblazons it in cursive. “An invitation to a party I am already at. What a prize, arrow-boy.” Their tail curls awkwardly around their own ankles, before Trouble catches themselves and gives it an annoyed flick. 

“Well, I can take it back if you’d rather not be invited.”

Double Trouble surprises themselves again by twisting slightly out of reach and shooting Bow a glare. 

“Look, we wanted to invite you sooner, but you were deep in hiding.”

“Excuse you. I don’t hide, I maintain a mystique.”

“No doubt.” Double Trouble knows this tone as Bow’s ‘being patient’ tone. This hasn’t gone the way they wanted; Bow is leading the scene and Double Trouble is reacting. They had prepared for anger and outrage. How dare they sneak into the queen’s party, spy, thief, pest, get out of here. They’ll have Bow dancing to their tune yet. 

“Catra figured you would slink into our lives whenever you felt like being a pain in the ass, anyway. Her words, not mine.” 

Double Trouble moves closer to Bow, tail moving to lightly rest around his feet. “Truly? Does she want to rip my pretty eyes out? Is this all an elaborate ploy? The kitten I know is not forgiving, like you.” 

“It’s a party, not a ploy. I think she wants to chat, though.”

Cue ignored. Perhaps he has not noticed the tail. Double Trouble gives him a sharp toothed grin, their noses almost touching. Ignore that. “I set that bridge on fire. If you think she really wants to see me, you’re dumber than you look, love.”

“Mhm. So how long have you been here, Trouble?” 

“The whole night,” they shrug. Trail a lazy, clawed finger up Bow’s chest. Bow is unperturbed. “Your security is very lax, tech master.”

“Sure. Let’s see.” Bow brings out a tracker pad and scrolls for a moment, letting the shapeshifter linger in his space. “You snuck in as Perfuma, pretending you’d left earlier to get your purse. Then you swapped out her purse, which you will be returning, by the way. Then you were Scorpia for a bit, pretending to accidentally knock over a punch bowl because that’s... funny to you, I guess. And then you were a guard- Ooh, are you blushing? Never thought I’d see that on your smug face. Adorable.“ 

“Fine. I get the picture.” They throw their hands up and turn around, flicking their hair over their shoulder. “Congrat-uuu-lations! You’ve ruined my whole evening.”

“Point is, if Catra didn’t want to see you, Adora wouldn’t want you here, and then the queen would not want you here. And then you wouldn’t be here, no matter how sneaky you think you are. Talk to her. She could use more friends in her corner.” Bow offers them an arm. “I get the feeling you’re ready for a few friends, too.”

“Not everyone is like you, Bow,” they sneer.

“Maybe, but there are plenty of places you could be besides here. I think you came here because you felt left out.”

When did they become this transparent? Their cheeks feel hot. Everything has gone so awry. They didn’t want any of this... sincere, mortifying bullshit. Double Trouble considers escaping by climbing off the balcony. 

It’s a pretty long drop. 

They pack their embarrassment deep down in their belly and straighten their back. Can’t be embarrassed if you have no shame. “Whatever. The queen owes me money.”

“That’s the... spirit? We’ll work on it.” Bow offers an arm and walks them back inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Double Trouble is really made of 100% mean bastard wool, but I think it’s nice if they’re not. 
> 
> I have a sorta last chapter drafted up but it didn’t just spill onto the page like the others. We’ll see.


	4. Act 4

“You know, if you’d used the front door and just... knocked or something, we would let you in.”

Double Trouble grinned. They were wearing their more usual black, contrasted with a white bag slung over their shoulder, and hair tidied away into a surprisingly utilitarian braid. And they were surrounded by guards, halberds trained at them pointy-end first. 

Bow was not sure where the lizard had disappeared to after the party. Now, nearly a week had passed, and here they were, in the inner royal gardens, upsetting the guards entirely on purpose. Bow dismissed them and the shapeshifter watched them retreat with some glee. 

“They snap to attention, don’t they? Are you the de facto king already?”

“N-no.” Bow stuttered.

“Certainly.” Double Trouble blinked slowly. There was a bruise on their neck and they held their lower arm close to their body, a blood-soaked cloth bandage wound tight about it, Bow noted, but the look Double Trouble gave him when he winced at the bandage was so venomous that he cast about for a different subject.

“So... You patch things up with Catra at the party?”

“Of course. I’m ever the soothing presence, darling.”

Bow raised an eyebrow. Double Trouble sighed. 

“She wants to work things out. But it’ll take time before she’ll trust me again.” Double Trouble’s tail curled into an uneven coil. “If ever.”

Bow couldn’t entirely hide the surprise in his voice. “You want to be trustworthy?”

“I don’t want it at all! What a boring concept! Trustworthiness implies predictability!” They rested their good hand on their forehead dramatically, as if fainting. “What a waste of my potential. But I have started to realise having a few people who trust you may be beneficial for long term survival when unexpected things happen. So, no. And yes.”

“Are you... expecting unexpected things to happen?” Bow frowned.

“No, but I also did not expect the planet to be invaded by clones.”

Before Bow had a chance to reply, Double Trouble smoothly pulled out a stack of paper concealed within the white bag. The top paper they unfolded, and smoothed out on the immaculately kept grass. It was a map, annotated.

Double Trouble sat cross-legged, pointing out locations on the map. Bow kneeled to watch. “There is a group of clones, still loyal to Prime, clustered in this area. They’re planning to launch an attack on this village to more firmly establish themselves and gain some resources to build a stronghold. Now... This is a small hamlet of absolutely no importance. But you wish to defend all the little villages and their hapless inhabitants. If you make a move as soon as possible, you can strike the clones down before they even have a chance to get into formation.”

Bow looked up from the map to find Double Trouble watching him closely.

“Why bring this to me? Why not Glimmer? She is the queen.”

“I respect Glimmer for the same reasons I came to you instead of her. She has a distrustful streak.” Double Trouble rolled up the map, and poked Bow in the chest with it. “But she trusts your opinion.”

“And I’ll trust you, is that it? You’re not exactly doing this out of the goodness of your heart.”

“No. But I am honest about it.”

Bow took the rolled up map from the shapeshifter. “This is a weird way to go about making friends, Double Trouble.” 

Double Trouble’s tail coiled weirdly again. “I don’t want to be your friend, Bow.”

Perhaps that was true. Perhaps it was not. Bow let it lay, though he was very aware of the agitated movements of that green tail in the grass. He flicked through the document stack which Double Trouble had brought, but they were written in Prime’s alien tongue. “And this?”

Double Trouble shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t read it, but you have people who can. I’ll admit it’s not my preferred standard of work but at the time I was... out of time. That is why your acting is urgent.”

“Is that how you got hurt?” 

Double Trouble shot him another venomous look. “I made a mistake. It won’t happen again.”

“We’ll look into it.”

“Urgently?”

“Yes, urgently. In the meantime, I can probably ask Glimmer to give you Flutterina’s... your own old room-“

“No.”

“No?”

“I’m not about to stay in your cloying castle again, or even anywhere you know about. That cramps my style.” They wrinkled their nose.

Bow folded his arms and looked down at the lizard. “Then how will we find you when we need you? Double Trouble, if you want me to trust you, you’re going to have to make some concessions.” 

Double Trouble’s tail curled very tightly, and then uncurled slowly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this was only going to have 4 chapters but I think it works better to break it up a bit. I guess this is gonna be one of those things that get away from you. Let’s gooo. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Act 5, part 1

Bow checked over the contents of their backpacks one last time. Most of the equipment was already in place; his dads had been working hard on this dig site with various assistants for a while now. The artefact was almost ready to be extracted, but the last few steps were delicate, and to make matters worse, the thing was suspended in the ceiling. Or so the report had said, anyway. 

They were at the edge of the ravine, where descent would be easiest, but they were a far way from the actual ruin. 

“It’s so nice to meet more of Bow’s friends.” Lance extended an enthusiastic hand towards Double Trouble, who ignored it because they had clearly decided they were going to be as spiteful as possible today. 

“Dad, this is-” Bow started, but Double Trouble interrupted him.

“Bow and I are not friends. Now let’s get this over with, I can’t wait to be covered in tiny spiders and dust.” The lizard slid themselves off the edge and scaled the ravine neatly, from foothold to impossible foothold. Within seconds, they’d reached the bottom, and looked up at Bow impatiently. 

“Oh. Well. They’ll certainly get the job done,” Lance said hesitantly. 

“Yeah. So... That’s Double Trouble. They spy for Glimmer. This is a bit outside of the type of the work they prefer to do,” Bow inhaled a breath and raised his voice so that Double Trouble could hear him. “SO THEY’RE BEING A BIT OF A DIVA.”

“I entitled to being one, and this is a waste of my immense talent!” Double Trouble yelled back from the bottom of the ravine.

“Yeah, to be honest, this is pretty standard behaviour. Damn it, they left their- YOU LEFT YOUR BACKPACK, DEE!” 

“I won’t need one because if we’re not done by the end of today, I am running away to live alone in the forest!”

“An optimist. I like them,” George stated. He finished securing the rope at the top of the ravine, and tossed it down for the rest of them to follow the lizard. 

The walls of the ravine jutted dangerously above them, growing taller and sharper as they progressed. Double Trouble stayed nimbly ahead of them the entire time, occasionally turning around to watch them while their tail lashed impatiently. Certain segments Bow would have described as unclimbable, Double Trouble slinked up with ease while the rest of the party needed to utilise the pitons already hammered into the walls. People had been back and forth this route a few times, so the route was well trod, but nevertheless treacherous. Double Trouble could be bothered to help secure ropes and hoist up packs for them, but they’d bolt off again before getting caught within conversational range. 

Which was just fine. Bow appreciated the chance to catch up with his dads.

Bow had, at least, managed to convince Double Trouble they would need their backpack of supplies. He could have just let them suffer without, he supposed, but Bow felt oddly responsible for the lizard. He had felt that way ever since they’d turned up in the castle’s garden and had asked for... Bow still wasn’t sure what they wanted, precisely. And the more he was around Double Trouble, the surer he was Double Trouble didn’t know, either.

But they were doing their best with their end of the bargain. Occasionally they’d disappear for days on end, to return with intel for the Alliance. It was always accurate, and always useful. 

And if they were a bit difficult to get along with and occasionally lapsed back into sowing chaos in their wake just for the hell of it, well... Bow supposed Bright Moon wasn’t built in a day. Dealing with his own test of patience gave him some increased understanding of Adora’s struggles with Catra. So, Bow upheld his end of the bargain and did what Double Trouble had asked him to; he trusted the lizard.

Mostly he trusted that they’d do their utmost best to be a pain in the ass, and was pleasantly surprised on the very rare occasion they were not. 

By the time Double Trouble stopped ahead of them and gazed at something below, it had started to drizzle, and the sun was so low on the horizon that Bow and his dads were using torches to light up the path. 

“Come on, you two. It’ll be dry inside, and I’ll cook us some food,” Lance smiled over his shoulders as he and George descended down the last of the terrain and into the ruin.

Double Trouble remained where they’d stopped, looking a little hesitant. Bow was starting to suspect they were fearful of the ruins. “I’m sure Glimmer could have teleported us here if you’d asked her.”

She probably could have. Might have even relished the chance to get away from the castle for a bit. Bow sighed. “She’s really busy at the moment. You know that.”

“Oh, don’t I ever. She hardly ever has time for tea, recently,” they pouted. 

Bow was unable to swallow his surprise. “Wait, you guys hang out?”

“Excuse you, don’t sound so surprised. So, I don’t suppose we’ll have this done today? The beds in the castle are stupidly soft, and I am afraid I have gotten used to it.”

“We could make a start, but it’s probably better to set up camp and get some sleep.”

“Why, are you tired?” The barb lacked its usual venom. Double Trouble was tired too, leaning slightly on the ravine wall. 

“Yes. I’m carrying the heavier stuff because I figured you’d be difficult about the packs. Besides, this ruin’s your find, so this is all your fault, really.” Double Trouble blanched and laid their ears flat. “They were described in the documents you stole from the clones.” 

“I am never stealing anything again unless I know precisely what it is.”

Bow clapped Double Trouble on the shoulder and followed his dads down the last few stretches of the ravine.

His boots lost their grip on the rain slick rocks and he briefly imagined having to be emergency teleported out with a concussion, before he felt something wrap around his bicep and steady him. He still fell, but on his ass instead of his head. Definitely preferable.

“Thanks.” In his shock he gingerly patted Double Trouble’s tail, still curled around his arm, before looking up. The lizard had been pulled off balance by his fall, and was awkwardly lying in a wet heap on the rocks above him.

“Let’s never speak of this again,” Double Trouble groaned and brushed a wet lock of hair out of their face. The light from Bow’s torch caught in their golden eyes, illuminating them mesmerisingly. 

What a strange thought to have. He tore his gaze away. 

When they entered the ruin, Bow’s dads had already started setting up camp. Blissfully, the roof was so intact that only a few droplets dripped through. In one corner, a tarp had been pulled taut over stacks of equipment, and a few sleeping rolls. Lance was already busy setting up a camping stove, while George seemed to be checking some equipment.

Double Trouble shook themselves like a wet dog, taking care to flick water droplets off their tail at Bow. It made no difference; he was already soaked through. “Get it out of your system,” he sighed, as the lizard gave him a mock-innocent look. 

The artefact itself was the usual crystalline shape of First One structures, and abouts the size of Swift Wing. What was more atypical was the elaborate system of pipes and cables suspending it from the ceiling. Scaffolding had been built around it and most of the pipework had been removed. The remainders were hard to reach, near crammed up against the ceiling and at an awkward angle. 

The lizard was taking in the vaulted ceiling. “The First Ones had a remarkable sense of grandeur.” Their tongue darted out to wet their nose. “Smells like rocks in winter.”

“Okay... that’s weirdly specific,” Bow commented, sniffing the air himself. He couldn’t smell anything.

“No, no! Quite an interesting observation, actually!” Lance looked up from the camping stove. “We believe the artefact may be a form of climate control, specifically used to lower the ambient temperatures of the halls above to well below freezing! Oh, but don’t worry, it’s long dormant now!”

George handed Bow and Double Trouble a towel each, and joined them in looking up at the artefact. “Our cursory exploration of the upper levels revealed halls with rows upon rows of pods, and grates which we think the pipes may lead to. My theory is that this is the remnant of a space-craft carrying citizens to settle on Etheria. They may have maintained the settlers in cryogenic stasis.” 

Bow’s mind flashed uncomfortably to the rows of pods on Horde Prime’s ship. He pushed it to the back of his mind and focused on towelling himself dry instead.

“Like brumation?” Double Trouble was watching the crystalline artefact like they expected it to come alive and spray them with cold air. 

“Yes, very much a similar concept,” George nodded.

Double Trouble’s tail snaked about their own ankle as they were torn, Bow suspected, between curiosity and their wish to maintain a spiteful aloofness. “Why would the Alliance want that?” 

Lance straightened his glasses enthusiastically. “Well, perhaps not the freezing capabilities, explicitly, but the tech in this thing could set us on the path to artificially maintaining any temperature in large areas. It could be very useful for many things. Like farming! Imagine, strawberries in winter! Now, what do you two think, lentil curry or root vegetable soup?”

Bow cast Double Trouble a look, but they were still watching the artefact. Their eyes seemed to light up with deep thought. 

Changed into dry clothes and settled around the camping stove as the smell of warm spices wafted through the air, the bone weariness of the day really settled into Bow. 

He’d worried that Double Trouble would continue to be difficult, and not get along with his dads, but they all seemed to be in good spirits. When George had commented that spy-work must be tough, Double Trouble smoothly said that it was not, and shifted into a perfect depiction of George, flawlessly imitating his mannerisms. 

George lost the ladle into the cooking pot. Lance enthusiastically asked them to do him next. Double Trouble indulged him, then cycled through a handful more people just to show off. 

What was strange, was that Bow was startled, too. It was remarkable how precise their imitations were, even of his parents who they had only just met. He knew they were skilled, of course... But at some point he’d started taking Double Trouble at face value, not as the untrustworthy, duplicitous shapeshifter.

Perhaps that was unwise. But the more Bow seemed to believe Double Trouble, the less inclined they seemed to lie and play tricks. 

He pondered this as they laid on their sleeping mats, listening to the echoing drips of the cavernous ruin. He propped himself up on his arm. 

“Hey, Dee.” 

Large eyes opened to look at him, bright like warm coals in the dark.

“You’re doing really well.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Nothing. You’ve just been quite nice today, I guess. Quite often, lately, to be honest. I appreciate it.”

Double Trouble turned away from him with a put upon scoff, but their tail curled out of their blanket, the tip close to Bow’s hand. It seemed like a tentative invitation, so Bow lightly touched it with his hand, and it curled loosely between his fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed writing this chapter a lot. I hope you enjoy reading it!


End file.
